Top 5 Best Homebrew Mash Tun Reviews

Extract brewing is a great way to get into home brewing. However, at some point you may be interested in more complexity. This is where you are going to have to consider upgrading to an all-grain set up.

All-grain brewing is a little different than brewing with extracts. It is a bit more labor intensive and requires a few additional steps. This means you will also need some additional equipment.

The first major difference between extract and all-grain brewing is you don’t use a malt extract syrup. Instead you are getting the starches, flavor, and color from mashing grain. You will also need to remove the grain before you boil the wort.

Mashing is the word used for the steeping process which hydrates the grain. This activates the malt enzymes and converts the grain starches into fermentable sugar. To aid in this process, you will require a homebrew mash tun.

What is a mash tun? The mash tun is a vessel that houses the conversion of starches into the sugar. During this conversion it is important to keep a constant temperature. For this reason, mash tuns are usually insulated.

Mash tuns also typically have a strainer at the bottom and a spigot. This way, when the grains have been mashed you can rinse and drain from the same vessel. Because it is important to get all of the grains out of your wort, it is common to strain it more than once. This is called recycling.

There are different types of mash tun designs, so take into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of them before you pick one up. Here are some popular mashing tuns for the DIY brewer.

It may surprise you to hear that this 10 gallon mash tun cooler is one of the most popular mash tuns for home brewing. It has a ten-gallon capacity and is essentially a modified water cooler. The reason why these are so popular is because they are simple, durable, and work very well.

Its sides are insulated to keep your wort up to temperature and it has a thick top that holds in heat and keeps out contaminants.

At the bottom of the mash tun cooler is a stainless steel false bottom. This screen filters the wort before it leaves through the spigot. The spigot is also stainless steel and operates with a simple open and close valve.

Pros

Durable

Efficient

Insulated

Cons

Can be expensive

Assembly required

Poor instructions

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This false bottom mash tun is very similar to the Learn To Brew Mash Tun. It is also a modified beverage cooler with a stainless steel false bottom and spigot. However, this kit also comes with a siphon sprayer, tubing, and a hot liquor tank.

With the siphon sprayer and tubing you can easily clean the tanks and move your wort. The hot liquor tank is a nice addition as it more easily allows you to regulate the temperature of your striking or sparge water. This is the water that is used to rinse the remaining grains after you drain the wort.

This stainless steel mash tun is a little different than the plastic ones. In this case, rather than depending on an insulated mash tun, temperature is regulated by a heat source. The heat source can be your stovetop or any burner alike.

A try-ply bottom helps to prevent scorching from direct heat. And regulating the temperature is made simple by an integrated thermometer that ranges from 60-220 F.

Like all home brew mash tuns, the bottom has a metal screen to filter the wort and it also has an additional strainer that can be attached to the spigot.

Complete with lid and easily removed false bottom this is a quality product.

This is another popular plastic mash tun. It is made by QuickFit but is almost identical to the Learn To Brew Mash Tun. The only notable difference here is that the spigot gasket is known to occasionally leak.

Personally, I have never had an issue with my spigots leaking but this is an easy fix as there are many ways to ensure a proper seal. Similarly, this mashing tun also holds temperature well even for your hour mashes and its false bottom does a good job of straining the wort.

This is another solid stove top stainless steel mash tun. It is not meant to be kept insulated rather it utilizes a heat source to regulate temperature. This is made easy with a built in thermometer.

Unlike most mashing tuns, this does not actually include a false bottom. However, it does come with a bazooka screen that is attachable to the spigot.

The bazooka screen is typically used in addition to a false bottom as they are known to clog when used alone. This isn’t a huge problem because false bottoms are relatively inexpensive and bought separately, it can be easily installed.

Pros

inexpensive

Built in thermometer

Bazooka Screen

Cons

No False bottom

Thin bottom may cause scorching

Assembly required

Known to leak

Plastic vs. Stainless Steel Mash Tuns

When you are looking for a DIY mash tun, what should you consider? Should you use a plastic or stainless tun? Both are designed to complete the mashing process with ease. There is no real production value difference between the two.

However, when you are deciding between the two, consider the environment you will be in and at which temperature your brew requires.

In some cases, it may be best to go with a stove top mashing tun because you can easily regulate the exact temperature needed for particular enzyme activity. However, in most cases you may only require a general temperature range and it may be more practical to utilize a plastic mash tun.

Both styles of mashing tuns are around the same price range so make a decision based off your personal needs.

My Vote for Best Mash Tun

I have a had many good experiences with the Learn To Brew Mash Tun. Regulating within a health temperature range is very easy and I have only had to use striking water in rare occasions. It is also easily cleaned and can be put to the side while your grain is steeping.

Picking just one to be the best mash tun, I would say that this is a great option for the first time DIY brewer looking for something more than homemade mash tun.

If you are a beginner home brewer, take a look at our popular home brew kit reviews. They will include everything that you need to get started on the journey of home brewing. Welcome to the community.